Dark Kiva

1994

With Dark Kiva, Mary Giles has turned the basket into a stunning and mysterious object. Her work in general, including Dark Kiva, combines the traditional basket material of waxed linen with the unconventional of hand-hammered iron drops, creating a dramatic exterior. Dark Kiva also has a narrative or symbolic quality; upon looking into the dark gray and black interior, one sees male figures, articulated from iron wire, around the inner circumference. These figures are meant to evoke the all-male tribal gatherings of ancient cultures, particularly the Pueblo kivas of the American Southwest. In fact, the form can be seen as a reference to the local landscape of that region, which has captivated Giles in her work. Initially self-taught in basketry, Mary Giles studied with Walter Nottingham, a fiber art professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and Ferne Jacobs, a well-known fiber artist, to develop both her technique and her trademark coiled basket style. Originally from St. Paul, Giles has returned to Minnesota, where she is continuously inspired by her studio's view of the St. Croix River